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feature vault News INTERVIEW: Exes & Ohs' creator, writer and actress Michelle Paradise
feature vault News INTERVIEW: Exes & Ohs' creator, writer and actress Michelle Paradise | Latest News |
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| INTERVIEW: Exes & Ohs' creator, writer and actress Michelle Paradise |
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Exes & Ohs (www.logoonline.com ) Friends for the lesbian viewer, Exes & Oh's is all about the ups and downs of breaking up and getting back into the game, with a little help from your gal pals. Creator, writer, actress Michelle Paradise reveals all about her hilarious and neurotic show, which she based on her original short film.  Michelle Paradise – Exes & Ohs Is Exes & Ohs loosely based on your own experience at all? Do share... Well, I’ve always been something of an ace in the dating world... cool, suave, very James Bond-like (but female)... Okay, I will admit that I spilled food on my shirt a couple of times and then there was that unfortunate incident of tripping over my own feet and knocking my date to the ground (which wasn’t entirely my fault; I do have large feet)... So, perhaps one or two of the stories in “Exes & Ohs” may come from experiences I’ve had or things that I’ve seen... I won’t say which ones, though. That would be way too embarrassing. I should also add that “Exes & Ohs” is actually based on a short film I wrote several years ago called “The Ten Rules.” Four of the characters from the short (Jen, Sam, Chris, and Kris) are now the main characters in the tv series... and we’ve kept all of the fun stylistic stuff (Jen’s dream sequences, the various “rules” of dating, etc). So if your readers liked ”The Ten Rules” but haven’t seen “Exes & Ohs” yet, then they’re in for a happy surprise when they do. Everyone would love a group of friends like those of Exes & Ohs, where did the inspiration come from? The gang in “Exes & Ohs” – not the characters, specifically, but how they relate to each other – was inspired by my own group of friends... We’ve all known each other for over 10 years. We hang out together, take trips together, and have been through tough times and great times together. It’s really like a surrogate family, and I thought that Jen would have that... and need that. The rules on how to deal with a lesbian break up (an intricate part of the show): can you run through them. How many decades do you have? Just kidding... oh, gosh, there are so many! There’s the U-Haul Rule (“What does a lesbian bring on a second date?” “A U-Haul!”). There’s the rule about how your exes always end up being your best friends (therefore, you can’t escape them)... how lesbian relationships are actually defined in dog years (meaning that 1 month in a lesbian relationship is like 7 months in a straight relationship)... the fact that the lesbian community is so small that there’s usually only 1 degree of separation between you and every other lesbian in any given room... and, of course, that as much as everyone would like to say it’s just a stereotype, lesbian drama does actually exist. Yes, it does. Don’t lie to yourself. It does. Of course, there are many, many more... and now would be a great time for me to plug our season 1 DVD so you can watch the series and find out what they are! :-) What's your best advice for a girl in Jennifer's position? Think before you speak – and don’t mix cold medicine with fruity alcoholic beverages. Other than that, I’d say just be yourself... You don’t have to be more of one thing or less of another thing in order to find your own Ms. Right. She’s out there. You’ll find her. Was the need to have a number of out actresses on board important? The most important thing was to find the best actress for each role – and, of course, to ensure that everyone we cast (regardless of orientation) would be comfortable playing a lesbian and being physical with other women. During the audition process, we never asked anyone’s sexual orientation but we did make sure that our casting directors let everyone know what might be required of them if they got the part. Anyone who had an issue wasn’t even considered. Ultimately, we auditioned hundreds of people before finally selecting the women who are in the cast. The fact that some of them turned out to be gay (and out) was a bonus for us. How does the writing work for the show. Are most things improvised based on a plot, or are most things written? Everything is written into the scripts. Occasionally, someone may improvise a line at the end of a scene (and if it works, we definitely use it) but pretty much everything you see is scripted. With the success of the L Word, has making this show been easier do you think? “The L Word” has not only demonstrated that there’s an audience out there for a television series about lesbians, but that such a series can also be a huge commercial success. I don’t know, though, if that success had a direct impact on Logo’s decision to do “Exes & Ohs.” You’d have to ask the powers-that-be within Logo. But since Logo only does GLBT programming, I think it’s safe to assume that if they hadn’t picked up “Exes & Ohs,” they’d have picked up a different lesbian show instead. Thankfully, they didn’t or I wouldn’t be here! What can we expect from season 2? Season 2 is going to be a blast! I’m really excited about where the stories are going.... there’s funny, there’s heart, there’s sex, and – of course – there’s the Beever Café with its 6 foot tall stuffed beaver mascot. I can’t get into specific storylines or the folks at the network will throttle me, but I can tell you that each of the characters’ cliffhangers from the end of season 1 will be resolved very, very early in season 2. Also, I think it’s safe to say that Jen’s learned her lesson about mixing cold medicine with fruity alcoholic beverages – but it’s also safe to say that she’ll still find plenty of ways to get herself into embarrassing situations. What’s the most uplifting compliment you have received about the show? All of them are uplifting... just the fact that viewers are responding to “Exes & Ohs” and that they take the time to write and say that just means so much to me – and, I know, to everyone else who has worked so hard on this show. There’s one email, in particular, that I’ve never forgotten... it came from a teenager who is insecure about coming out and said that my character, Jennifer, was the first lesbian she could identify with and learn from. That just really struck me... yes, we’re entertaining people with this show – but this kind of show can also really make a difference in people’s lives. It’s a privilege and a responsibility that I take very seriously, even when I’m writing funny things. In terms of lesbian representation on TV/Film/Online, what do you think have been the most significant changes? Wow... That’s a great question. When I wrote and shot “The Ten Rules” back in 2001 – and even for much of 2002 and 2003 while it was playing on the festival circuit – the media landscape here in the U.S. was completely different. Gay networks didn’t exist, “The L Word” didn’t exist, the AfterEllen web site hadn’t been launched... Lesbian characters were certainly represented in film and television, but not in a very big way; and being “out” was still a major risk for lesbian actors, writers, comedians, etc., even though Ellen had already paved the way (and paid quite a price for doing so). Now, just 7 short years later, there are two major gay networks here in the U.S. (Logo, which is the home of “Exes & Ohs,” and Here TV). “The L Word” is one of the most successful shows on Showtime. AfterEllen is one of the biggest online destinations for lesbians – and it’s not only generating lesbian-specific content; it’s also helping to launch the careers of out lesbians in the entertainment business. And where straight actresses once shied away from playing gay or even acting in “gay” projects, they’re now seeking out those roles... and winning awards for their work. It’s been such a privilege to have been part of this shift – and what a joy to watch it happen and see that things are only opening up more. What is your moto in life? You can have anything you want in life as long as you’re willing to work long enough and hard enough for it. |
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